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Current News
AFVBM Member
April 2008
Andrew Dipper, Vice President of Givens Violins and President of Dipper Restorations, was accepted as a full member of the American Federation of Violin and Bow Makers (AFVBM) at the recent bi-annual conference in Seattle. Highlights of this event included a magnificent exhibition of Cremonese instruments from the period 1730 to 1750 including Guarneri del Gesu "King Joseph" and "Lord Wilton" violins, Stradivari's "Sassoon" and three instruments made by Carlo Bergonzi. Bows exhibited were by the makers Maire, Pecatte, Simon and Henry. Experts from all corners of the world gave lectuers and participated in panel discussions. Andrew Dipper was honored to deliver a lecture on Stradivari's House
A Sad Loss for Our Shop
April 2008
We at Givens Violins are very sad to report the passing of Lupot, our faithful Brittany Spaniel "security guard". During her twelve years at the shop, she was loved by all and is fondly remembered for brightening our days. Her absence is felt by many of our customers and friends and all of us who work here.
MN Sinfonia Young Artist Competition
April 2008
Cellist Tina Jung, first place winner for the senior division, received the Claire Givens Violin Prize of $500. She also performed Max Bruch's Kol Nidre during the fifth set of Great Winter Festival concerts. For more information about the Minnesota Sinfonia, visit www.mnsinfonia.org.
2008 Saint Paul String Quartet Competition
May 2008
Claire Givens fully supported the Arianna String Quartet as this year's Final Round jury for the St. Paul String Quartet Competition. There were six exceptional young quartets this year from across the Midwest and our very own Melanzana Quartet won the Bronze medal (Evan Vicic, violin; Katherine Williamson, violin; Erin Gallagher, viola; Paul Leger, cello) The first prize went to the Viaggio String Quartet (Eric Gatz, violin; Anthony Bracewell, violin; Stephanie Price, viola; Ken Kuboto, cello) and second prize to Polaris (Andrea Jarrett, violin; Vincent Meklis, violin; Matthew Lipman, viola; Gabriel Cabezas, cello). For more information about the competition, visit www.spsqc.artaria.us.
Young People's Symphony Concert Association (YPSCA) Winner of Givens Prize
February 2008
Claire and Derrick |
Mary West Solo Competition
November 2007
Givens Violins supported the Mary West Solo Competition (previously MNSOTA State Solo Competition) by sponsoring the $250.00 grand prize and providing other winners with three $75.00 gift cards. This year's winners include grand prize winner Emily Anderson and gift card winners Sarah Grimes, Erik Rohde and Jason Shue.
Givens Sponsored Midori/McDonald Concert
November 2007
Claire and Midori |
Antiques Roadshow
February 2008
To view an Antique Roadshow appraisal by Andrew Dipper, visit www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow, click on "search appraisals" above the search bar, and enter the name Andrew Dipper. Keep your eye on this site for more appraisals by Claire Givens and Andrew Dipper will be available in the coming months.
August 2007
Claire and Andrew went to Las Vegas to appraise instruments for the 2008 season of Antiques Roadshow.
December 2006
Claire and Andrew went to Tucson to appraise instruments for the 2007 season of Antiques Roadshow.
March 2004
See Claire on the second episode of Antiques Roadshow's visit to San Francisco. Claire appraises a 19th c. violin by Hippolyte & Pierre Silvestre of Lyon.
July 2003
Watch for the Hot Springs, Arkansas installment. Both Andrew and Claire taped segments.
January 2001
The 2002 Season Tucson Installment I is an appraisal by Claire of a Carl Becker 1930s violin worth at least $25,000.
New Items
March 2007
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Key Pegs, also known as "Posture Pegs" or "Krovoza Pegs", have helped hundreds of cellists worldwide to greatly reduce tension and fatigue while playing. The removal of the heads from the C and G pegs allows the cello to rest in a more close and nature position against the player.
The Key Peg is in two pieces, the peg shaft and the key tool. The shaft houses a sleeve that is 2 cm long, into which the square key tool fits. The grip of the key tool is larger than the grip of most normal pegs allowing greater leverage and ease of adjustment.
In answer to recent strict airline carry-on regulations, BAM has designed the "Overhead Hightech Violin Case". It is extremely compact and is made using BAM's patented Hightech material which provides ultimate protection with minimal weight (2.3 lbs). The case only carries a single violin; a bow can easily be carried in a small separate case or tube.
Artino has designed unique sound enhancing endpin stops and shoulder rests. We have tested these items and find that they do indeed have a positive effect for many instruments. The shoulder rests tend to make violins have a darker sound while the endpin stops seem to add color to the cello sound. The best thing to do is come into the showroom to assess the products with your own instrument
Inventory
January 2008
Click here to view acquisitions from Claire Givens and Andrew Dipper's European buying trip.
Gift Cards Now Available
January 2007
Givens Violins gift cards are the perfect gift for any string player. Cards are available in the shop or by phone order, 800.279.4323.
Rare Books For Sale
January 2007
Click here to view a list of rare violin books for sale. The books are on display at Givens Violins.
20 Years With Givens Violins
January 2007
Workshop Manager Douglas Lay celebrated 20 years with Givens Violins. Doug has been instrustrumental in creating and maintaining the high standards that have become business as usual for Givens Violins. We look forward to another 20 years with Doug.
Pernambuco Conservation Efforts
December 2005
Givens Violins is pleased to be a member of the International Pernambuco Conservation Initiative. We donate $1.00 from every rehair to help the IPCI preserve and protect Brasil's Pernambuco trees. We thank all of the bow makers in the IPCI who have put so much effort into this project.
The Strad - History Man
Be sure to check out the article, "History Man", in the February 2002 issue of The Strad magazine. It is an article about our very own Andrew Dipper and Dipper Restorations.
Visit to Washington DC
The Staff of Givens Violins visited the collections of violins at the Library of Congress and at the Smithsonian in Washington DC. At the Library of Congress, we had the pleasure of seeing and playing the 1733 Guarneri del Gesu violin of Fritz Kreisler. We were also able to play the very famous "Betts" Antonio Stradivari of 1704. At the Smithsonian, curator Gary Sturm showed us four of Stradivari's decorated violins including: The Sunrise, The Hellier, The Ole Bull and the Greffuhle. It was a remarkable opportunity to have a hands-on experience studying some the finest instruments in existence.
Microfiber Cleaning Cloths
Givens Violins offers microfiber cleaning cloths. These cloths are state-of-the-art in their ability to pick up loose rosin and other particles from your instrument. The fibers that make up the cloth are 0.050 denier (less than 1/100 the thickness of a human hair). This micro size combined with the shape of the fibers imbue the cloths with a truly unique cleaning ability. Pick up yours today for only $5.00.
Anderson Music Stands
If you're looking for a music stand that combines function with beauty stop in and see our selection of Anderson Music Stands. The stands are made of wood and brass and come in a variety of finishes. For more information visit the Anderson Music Stand website. Anderson Music Stand.